Hugh Hempel is a technology industry veteran. In this moving TED Talk he shares how medicinal cannabis has helped the lives of his ailing 11 year-old twin daughters as well as a thoughtful overiew of the government effort to keep this plant away from us. This talk will challenge your views of medical marijuana.
His twins suffer with a rare genetic disorder – their brains are drowning in cholesterol. It wasn’t until Hugh and his wife heard about the impact cannabis oil can have on people with this condition that they found relief for their kids. Three times a day the girls took the oil. Sadly both girls passed away recently. You can read more about the Hempel twins and their courageous battle here.
“Our experience showed us that we all have been misinformed about the health benefits of cannabis. I am angry about that,” Hugh said. When the Ted Talk was about to end, Mom and Dad brought their twins out on the stage to a standing ovation.
Hempel is a technology industry veteran. During his 30-year career in high technology, Hugh has held numerous senior management positions in many innovative and pioneering technology companies. As chief operating officer and co-founder of Hopelink, Hugh launched one of the first Healthcare Internet start-ups that matched cancer patients with online clinical trials.
Prior to founding Hopelink, Hugh held a variety of positions at Netscape, the first successful consumer Web browser software company. As Director of Online Marketing and Director of Enterprise Sales and Marketing, Hugh worked with the team that helped make the Web a reality for millions of people worldwide. Prior to joining Netscape, Hugh worked as Manager of Engineering and Science markets for Apple Computer. While at Apple, he helped define the Apple Newton Messagepad, Apple’s first handheld computer that was a revolution in personal computing.
We were saddened to learn just that the twins died this past year. They were 15 years old and died within one half hour of each other. Read more.